Carson City school awarded $5,000 Rotary grant for STEM Parent Nights

Empire Elementary School has received a $5,000 grant to hold four STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Parent Nights. Nearly a dozen applications from teachers and teams of teachers were received for this competitive grant.

The school plans to host quarterly Family STEM Nights. Each Family STEM Night will have stations that focus on the specific content standards taught during regular classroom instruction to help reinforce and extend learning.

Empire Elementary plans to allow students, teachers, families and community members to explore STEM together in a fun and educational way, said Adrienne Wiggins, STEM coach at Empire.

“We know the importance of STEM education for all students, but we know it is even more important for our population,” Wiggins said in a media release. “Of the 500 students here, 75 percent are minorities with 225 that are English Language Learners. We are also a Title 1 school, and 100 percent of our students receive free breakfast and lunch. This means our students are already at a disadvantage.”

To meet the requirements of the grant, the project must be implemented by May 29, 2020, with all funds obligated by June 30. Empire Elementary School must be willing to share the results of its work via a presentation that includes pictures, video, etc. to the Rotary Club of Carson City during a regularly scheduled lunch meeting in June 2020.